Each of us lives in a world where familiar stereotypes and automatic reactions shape our perception of reality.

Beyond the Shadows: Unmasking Reality

Each of us lives in a world where familiar stereotypes and automatic reactions shape our perception of reality. When we embark on the path of self-knowledge, we are forced to confront painful truths about ourselves, dismantling long-established masks that society has imposed upon us. This process is not easy—it requires resolve, courage, and a willingness to question everything we once held as unassailable.

At the heart of such an inner upheaval is the ability to view oneself from the outside, to step beyond habitual thinking, and to recognize the duality of human existence: our lives are equally determined by external forces and by our personal choices. It is here that true freedom is born—when a person takes full responsibility in shaping their destiny, abandoning the entire illusory shell imposed upon us. This sincere and, at times, painful process of self-discovery helps to shatter established patterns, creating conditions for creative renewal and a deep understanding of true reality.

It is through this inner transformation that we can see the home where we once lived in a world of shadows, and learn to perceive the world beyond its confines. Ultimately, realizing that our lives are governed both by higher forces and by our own responsibility brings us closer to understanding the profound nature of existence. This is not merely a philosophical experience but a necessity for everyone who aspires to engage with life not superficially, but in its entirety—and vibrantly—in the hectic pace of change.

How can one break out of the state of the illusory “matrix” and see genuine reality?

To escape the state of the illusory “matrix” and perceive genuine reality, one must start with deep, even painful, self-knowledge and the dismantling of the habitual stereotypes we wear like masks. One of the authors writes:

“Rid yourself of the overly primitive and predictable psycho-physiological reactions and behavioral stereotypes; peel off from your face and your life the masks that your micro-society sticks on you. True freedom lies in this, not in voting in some elections. But if a person has not yet embarked on this path of struggle, he might seem whole. However, that wholeness is rather directed downward. The lowest of the factions pulls him through life. How can one break free from this captivity? The first step is the bitterness of self-knowledge. It introduces creative disarray into the former wholeness.” (source: link txt)

This passage explains that an honest and painful self-examination serves as a starting point for liberation. The author further proposes that we see the world from an outsider's perspective—stepping beyond the familiar perception that imposes only one facet of existence:

“It cannot be said that we are 90 percent dependent on God and 10 percent on ourselves. No. Both are 100 percent true. Everything depends on God 100 percent, and we are 100 percent responsible for our own life and death. How is this to be reconciled? Within the framework of our Euclidean mind (a term used by Dostoevsky) we cannot manage it. To do so, we must exit the ‘matrix’ of our world, observe from the outside, and only then will we finally understand the structure of the house in which we once lived.” (source: link txt)

This quote underlines that the key is the ability to view one’s life, beliefs, and illusions from a new perspective—as if from the outside, beyond the confines of the usual world and its stereotypes. Such a step requires a willingness to reject the familiar “self,” since the initial reaction of an awakening consciousness is often expressed in painful self-repulsion. This inner turmoil, though painful, opens the way to a true understanding of what lies behind the external appearance of things.

Additionally, a traditional philosophical approach—reminiscent of what Plato suggested—implies that our external world is nothing more than a “play of shadows.” To grasp the sacred, the invisible, the spiritual, the true reality, one must step beyond the visible world. This method of comprehending reality through the mind emphasizes that true understanding does not come from without but is born in the process of deep self-analysis and the renunciation of the illusions we have long accepted as truth (source: link txt).

Thus, escaping the illusory “matrix” involves a comprehensive process: dismantling habitual reactions, rejecting imposed stereotypes, and being prepared to view oneself and the world from a new perspective—one independent of conventional boundaries. Only by undergoing this process of self-knowledge can a person come closer to perceiving genuine reality.

Supporting citation(s):
“Rid yourself of the overly primitive and predictable psycho-physiological reactions and behavioral stereotypes; peel off from your face and your life the masks that your micro-society sticks on you. True freedom lies in this, not in voting in some elections. But if a person has not yet embarked on this path of struggle, he might seem whole. However, that wholeness is rather directed downward. The lowest of the factions pulls him through life. How can one break free from this captivity? The first step is the bitterness of self-knowledge. It introduces creative disarray into the former wholeness.” (source: link txt)

“It cannot be said that we are 90 percent dependent on God and 10 percent on ourselves. No. Both are 100 percent true. Everything depends on God 100 percent, and we are 100 percent responsible for our own life and death. How is this to be reconciled? Within the framework of our Euclidean mind (a term used by Dostoevsky) we cannot manage it. To do so, we must exit the ‘matrix’ of our world, observe from the outside, and only then will we finally understand the structure of the house in which we once lived.” (source: link txt)

“The world that a person perceives is merely the external shell of the sacred. How can one understand the sacred, the invisible, the spiritual, the true reality? For Plato, this is the path of reason—not mysticism, although it is present in his worldview—but of reason. Perhaps everyone has heard his parables. Sometimes he felt that his abstract dialectics, his logic, could not capture many nuances of his comprehension, and then he turned to literary myths. One of his earliest myths is the allegory of the cave.” (source: link txt)